Exxon touts energy efficiency of giant new campus (photos)

Exxon Mobil’s new campus north of Houston will include about “20 buildings designed around a three-acre commons, modeled after the great public squares found in Europe and the United States.” That’s according to the most recent edition of The Lamp, the company’s publication for shareholders, which has an article describing the campus with the above images.

The campus is being developed on 385 acres along Interstate 45 at the Hardy Toll Road. Jim Hennessy, project executive for the Houston campus, calls the project “one of the largest commercial construction projects under way in North America.”

“During a typical day, we have about 3,000 workers on site, 16 tower cranes and hundreds of pieces of mobile construction equipment,” he said in The Lamp.

Preservation: 80 percent of the campus will either remain in its natural state or be landscaped with transplanted trees, lawns and other plantings.

Sustainability: A typical building on the site will be 40 percent more efficient than comparably sized buildings in Houston. Employees will have personal control of their workspace temperatures and lighting. Campus water usage will be reduced by 80 percent versus a comparable-sized development through collection and reuse of rainwater, air conditioning condensate and other sources.

Energy Center: Shown in a rendering above, this meeting and training facility will feature a 10,000-ton floating cube positioned 80 feet above the plaza and reflecting pool below. An outdoor plaza will be able to house up to 3,500 people for special events.

Employee amenities: A 10,000-square-foot Wellness Center will include weight machines, treadmills and a basketball court. An onsite Child Development Center will provide child care and early-education services for children six weeks to prekindergarten age. The curriculum will focus on science, math and language.

Exxon Mobil employees will start moving into the campus next year with full occupancy slated for mid 2015. About 10,000 employees are expected to work there.

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